Of Lions and Snakes
by ChiefObviously
Summary: Twin sisters, Ariel and Aurora, inseparable for eleven years, until the unimaginable happened: one became a snake and the other a lion.  Can their enemies be the ones to reunite them?  Set in the marauder era.
1. Innocent Scheming

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It was a sunny day in mid-July. The beautiful 16-year-old Aurora Diamond sat on the lawn behind her home, playing with a lock of her long, golden brown hair, while staring intently at the handsome James Potter.

"Come on, Rora. She's just as nasty to you as she is to the rest of us, why do you always defend her? This could be our one chance to annihilate Slytherin and get her back on our side. I thought that was what you wanted..." James pleaded, gazing into her ocean blue eyes.

Aurora sighed and looked at the hair between her fingers. "Fine, James, if you really think this will work... I trust you."

James' face lit up like an exciteable little puppy, causing Aurora's heart to flutter. "Ok, so this is the plan: Tonight, we're going to have a party, I've already invited the guys-"

"Where is this party going to be?" Aurora interrupted.

"At casa de Diamond, of course." Aurora just rolled her eyes as James continued with the plan. "So, the guys are all going to come over and you _know_ Ariel will be furious to see that many Gryffindors in your house."

"Wait, where are you going with this? Are we just going to piss her off? Because you know how she gets when she's angry."

"Relax, Aurora, I've got it all under control. We'll tell her she can invite her friends, too-"

Aurora interrupted again. "Do you really think that's a good idea? My parents will kill us if the house blows up while they're away!"

"Do you really think I'd let that happen?" James asked innocently and continued before Aurora could respond, "When everyone gets here-"

"Wait, who's everyone?"

"Oh, the usual suspects: Sirius, Remus, Peter..." James paused, took a deep breath, then finished, "and Lily."

Aurora raised her eyebrows. "Lily? Are you serious?!"

"Rora, I'm hurt! Even you, girl I've known since birth, can't tell Sirius and I apart?!" James said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Aurora rolled her eyes. "James, don't change the subject. You know Evans and I don't get along."

"I just thought you two would be able to set aside your differences for Gryffindor. This is Slytherin we're talking about."

"I know what's at stake," Aurora said exasperated, "but it's going to take all of my concentration to convince Ariel we're not up to something. I don't need Evans around distracting me.

"Well, well, well. Aren't you two just precious," called Ariel's taunting voice.

"Precious?!" Aurora laughed nervously. "We're just two friends talking, what's so precious about that?"

"Ok, Peaches... What new scheme are you trying to pull my sister into this time, Potter?"

"Scheme?! Ariel, I'm hurt. Here I am having an innocent conversation with Rora and you come interupt and accuse me of scheming?!"

Ariel rolled her amethyst eyes. "You haven't had an innocent conversation in your entire life, James Potter."

"I have too!"

"Please! You've been getting my sister into trouble since we could walk."

"If you're referring to the incident with the cat, technically it wasn't my fault. I just wanted to see how old Henry would like a shower, you know just a little spritz. He really was a dirty old cat. _She_," he said pointing at Aurora who looked affronted, "is the one who dumped him in the bath. I had nothing to do with that!"

"Oh, yeah, because saying, 'Dunk him, Rora, dunk the dirty bastard!' had absolutely no effect." Aurora muttered sarcastically.

"Thank you, I'm glad you see it my way!" James said, smiling confidently, folding his arms across his chest.

"You're impossible Potter," sighed Ariel, shaking her head.

"Impossible?! I thought _I_ was impossible," pouted Sirius, as he slipped his arm around Ariel's shoulders. "Impossibly good-looking!"

"No Black, you're delusional," Ariel scoffed gracefully removing his arm from around her shoulders. "What are you even doing here?"

"I'm here to see you, babe," cooed Sirius. Ariel raised an eyebrow, but before she could protest he added, "Say what you like, gorgeous, you'll give in to my charms eventually."

"While you're off in your dream world, can one of you explain to me why this idiot is taking up my valuable time?"

"I'm here for the party, dollface!"

Aurora and James exchanged nervous glances. "She wasn't supposed to find out like this, this won't end well," Aurora whispered to James, climbing to her feet.

"What party?" Asked Ariel angrily, looking at James pointedly. "Just an innocent conversation was it, Potter?" Her voice rising dangerously.

Before James could reply, Aurora, sensing trouble, leaped up. "Well... We were thinking about having a party tonight..." She began, but faltered under her sister's furious stare. "No?... Ok."

Ariel rolled her eyes as she watched Aurora walk back to the boys, before turning to walk away herself.

"Guys, this isn't going to work," Aurora sighed, "she's not going for it."

"You're her twin," James exclaimed, "convince her!"

"Yeah, because this party is happening, so you can either help us or hinder us," added Sirius defiantly.

"Please, Rora, for me?" James pleaded, yet again giving her the look she could not resist.

Aurora sighed, giving in. "Fine... Ariel wait!" She called as she ran toward her sister. Ariel stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Aurora.

"No, I'm not going to have my house overrun by Gryffindors."

"If you would've let me finish, you would know that I was going to say you could invite your little Slytherin buddies, too."

"Please! Those idiots have obviously been rubbing off on you! Getting Gryffindors and Slytherins together under one roof? Do you realize how stupid that would be? Mom and Dad will flip if we get this house blown up! Besides, I don't want to subjugate my friends to a house full of Gryffindors – to Narcissa _maybe_..." Ariel paused as though contemplating the idea. "No, even I'm not that heartless."

"But – wait a second, what's your sudden issue with Narcissa?"

"I just don't like the way she looks at Lucius."

"What?! Why do you care how she looks at Lucius?! You aren't dating him, are you?"

"No, just innocent flirting."

"Whatever. My friends are coming. So you can either suffer alone or with your friends. We can stay in separate parts of the house and never see each other. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a party to plan. Come on boys." Aurora spun on her heel and stalked off toward the house leaving Ariel gaping in disbelief behind her.


	2. Seriously Sirius

Aurora walked into the kitchen, James and Sirius trailing behind her. "Ok, what now?" She asked the suspiciously silent boys.

Sirius just shrugged and gaped at Aurora.

"You said you invited everyone, right James?" Aurora asked, growing more suspicious of their silence. James nodded, staring wide-eyed at Aurora. Finally Aurora asked, "Ok, what's the matter with you two?"

"That was _amazing_..." Sirius muttered.

"You're my hero," added James.

"Huh? Are you two feeling ok?" Aurora asked, confusion etched on her face.

"The way you stood up to Ariel! I've never seen anyone talk to her like that before," proclaimed James, still in awe. "It _was_ amazing."

"Um... thank you?" Aurora blushed, avoiding James' gaze but reveling in the attention of the boy she secretly longed for. Just then she spotted Tippy, the Diamond family house elf. "Tippy, I need you to go to the food cellar and get some things for me," Aurora said as she handed her a slip of parchment. "It's all on this list. Can you please do that?"

Tippy nodded and turned to leave but not before Sirius added, "When you're done with that, we have a special assignment for you. Should you fail to complete this mission-"

"Sirius, don't say that, she'll take you seriously!" Aurora interrupted, then turned to Tippy, who scurried off to the cellar, list in hand.

"Why should she not take me seriously? I _am_ Sirius."

Before she could respond, she gave a start at the sudden banging of the kitchen door.

"Where's Tippy?" Ariel demanded. "I need her to get these invites out now."

"I sent her down to the cellar to bring some food up for the party. She should be back soon."

"Good. Oh, and I sent Jynx off to Malfoy manor with Lucius' invitation," Ariel said offhand.

"What! You used Jynx without my permission! What did you even need her for? Why couldn't Tippy just take Lucius' precious invitation?" Aurora yelled, furious at just how inconsiderate her sister could be.

"Because, Peaches, somebody, as in you, didn't give me enough notice. Tippy can hardly be expect to deliver four invitations all around the country in half an hour. It would exhaust the poor creature," Ariel hissed.

"Oh, don't pretend like you give a damn about Tippy!" Screamed Aurora, frustrated with her sister's insincerity. "It's not like Lucius would care if he got an invitation from a house elf. Malfoy manor is probably crawling with them. You're just making a pathetic attempt to impress him."

"Oh, Peaches, you're so funny," Ariel laughed, "I don't _try_ to impress, I _do_ impress."

"It's true! I haven't been able to take my eyes off her," interjected Sirius, who had, in fact, been staring at Ariel with a slightly glazed look from the moment she had entered the room. He now, however, just stared at his feet in embarrassment under the disgusted looks on the faces of the room's occupants.

"You're pathetic, man," James sighed while Aurora just shook her head, too disgusted to speak.

"Actually something we agree on, Potter," Ariel smirked. "Anyway... be a doll, would you Peaches and send Tippy out with these invitations when she gets back? Thanks, I have guests to prepare for."

"She's not your slave, Ariel," James cut in, glaring at his former friend. It was hard to believe this cold, cruel person in front of him was the same sweet little girl he'd known before Slytherin corrupted her. "Tippy is right here, tell her yourself."

Ariel rolled her eyes at James before directing her attention at the grimy, rag-clad house elf in front of her. "Ah, Tippy finally, I needed you to deliver these invitations to Severus, Narcissa, and Avery, like, ten minutes ago. So go," Ariel snapped dismissively, shoving the invitations into the house elf's grubby hands, and shooing her out the door.

"I love a lady who knows how to get what she wants," Sirius said winking at Ariel.

"Eww... as if. Peaches, you better keep your friends upstairs, especially that one," Ariel said, giving Sirius a pointed look before leaving the kitchen.

After Ariel had exited the kitchen, Aurora turned to Sirius. "I can't believe you sometimes. Do you ever think with your big head and not just your little one?" She asked, clearly still disgusted by his behavior.

"What?" Asked Sirius innocently.

Aurora rolled her eyes. Sensing trouble, James took over the conversation. "Sometimes it's better to just keep quiet, ok? Anyway, we have more important matters to discuss. Lily will be bring the trust potion tonight so-"

"I thought we agreed Evans wasn't coming," Aurora interrupted.

James shook his head. "Well, no, not technically. I know you protested her attendance, but just hear me out. You can't deny she's the best potion maker in Gryffindor, let alone in our class. She wants to get the Slytherin's just as bad as you. She's going to bring a trust serum, which we will have Tippy slip into their drinks tonight. Then you go in and talk to Lucius, the mastermind behind all of Slytherin's mayhem, and you will have no trouble convincing him to confide such valuable information." James hesitated, watching Aurora's face intently as he awaited her reaction, but she just looked at the floor. "Rora, you two used to be friends... besides, what other choice do we have?"

After a long pause, Aurora nodded. "You're right."

Sirius suddenly spoke up. "Why aren't you two friends anymore, anyway?"

Aurora felt her face flush as she continued to stare at the floor. "We just have our differences," she muttered, not wanting to admit the truth. She cleared her throat and looked at her watch. "Well, Tippy should be back soon, so then we can tell her the plan and just get this evening done with." Just then the house elf entered the kitchen. Aurora rushed over and quickly but thoroughly explained the plan to Tippy.


End file.
